JEFFERSON CITY - Jay Nixon has shown utter contempt and total disregard for Missouri taxpayers by covering up his bloated office budget request from state lawmakers who made reasonable requests for information from Nixon during the budget-writing process.

Reps. Jim Lembke and Nathan Cooper today issued a statement raising serious concerns about Nixon’s failure to provide additional budget details to the House Committee on Appropriations-General Administration. Lembke is committee chairman and Cooper is the vice chairman. The lawmakers said while every state agency responded to the committee’s information requests, Nixon arrogantly ignored his duty to Missourians by ignoring requests from elected representatives who are committed to spending taxpayer dollars wisely.

“Jay Nixon has defied Missourians and their elected representatives by arrogantly refusing to be held accountable for spending hard-earned taxpayer dollars used to pay his salary and the salaries of his bloated staff,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “Nixon’s utter disregard for the people of this state and the legislative process is rooted in his twisted belief that he answers to no one, which is particularly disturbing for a candidate for governor.”